Milestone looming for Giggs

The roar that greeted Ryan Giggs's introduction after an hour at the Los Angeles Coliseum was one of the loudest of the afternoon, enough to drown out the clatter of the police helicopter passing on its way to the city's notorious South Central districts. California has one of America's most football-literate populations and the 57,365 crowd drawn by Manchester United's 3-1 victory over Club America knew they were watching one of the British game's most famous sons.

The Coliseum, where Sebastian Coe won his second 1500 metres Olympic gold in 1984, has faded to a kind of shabby grandeur, although it has not declined at the same rate as some of the poor neighbourhoods that surround it. Around here, the Premiership comes to the homes of Hispanic families through cable television and although many of them turned out to support the visitors from Mexico, they really came to marvel at Giggs and the rest of the aristocrats of English football.

The Manchester United fan waving a "David who?" banner at the television cameras was fairly typical of the simplistic view of David Beckham's departure in the United States: that the club have been grievously betrayed. But for evidence that a real era at United is nearing its end, look no further than Nov 29. Because that is when Giggs - the 1990s boy wonder, the skinny prodigy on the wing - turns 30.

He will admit that he is delighted to still be at Old Trafford because there were times last season, before Beckham's departure began to dominate the agenda, when Giggs's time at United appeared to be coming to a dramatic end. There were cheers from some United fans when he was substituted at home to Blackburn in the Worthington Cup in January and Inter Milan were taking encouragement from someone in Manchester that at last Sir Alex Ferguson would contemplate selling Giggs.

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"I can't say that my future was never in doubt because you never know what's going to happen in football," said Giggs, who has three years left on his contract. "I always wanted to stay. I felt that I played well, especially towards the end of last season, and I hope to start the new season as I finished the last. At United the expectations are high and if you fall below you are going to get stick.

"I have never had it to that level before and it is the experience you have that sees you through. You know yourself if you are not playing well. It was about pride and wanting to produce for the team."

It took United until the second half to reach their ruthless best against Club America. Ruud van Nistelrooy rushed on to the end of a Diego Forlan knockdown after 46 minutes to sweep the ball home. The Uruguayan striker headed home from Quinton Fortune's left-wing cross three minutes later and then beat the goalkeeper, Jesus Rios, from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's flick-on with 13 minutes left. Christian Patino scored Club America's late goal.

United have sparkled in their two matches since arriving here and, like Giggs, Forlan is showing signs that he has been reborn after a few disappointments last season.

The United striker has said that he knows nothing of a reported offer to swap him for Real Betis's Spain international, Joaquin, during the summer. There is, however, an incomplete sense to United's close season and Juan Sebastian Veron was forced again to insist that he would be staying. "I have had offers from Spain and Italy, both of which I have turned down," he said. "I feel very happy and comfortable at United."